Whether it’s the classic luxury of Champagne and caviar, a narrative-driven wine and tasting menu, a sake and small bites offering, or a vibrant cocktail or mocktail pairing with chef-created entrees, today’s hospitality operators are keen on beverage pairings. They’re using them to tell stories, educate guests, and shape the entire arc of a dining experience. In fact, a pairing program—when executed with intention—drives both guest experience and revenue for a bar, restaurant, or hospitality business.
Javaughn Marshall, general manager and beverage manager of Midōsuji—an intimate omakase in Chicago—believes a pairing program is all about creating an experience where food and beverage intertwine in a way that enhances the guest’s visit; it’s not simply a way to show off what operators know or what the establishment can do. “It's being innovative in a way that says, ‘This sip goes perfectly with this bite,’ or ‘I wouldn't have tried these two things together, but I love it,’” he said.
Amy Racine, beverage director of JF Restaurants—a hospitality group based in N.Y.C.—said a smart pairing program is operationally sound, revenue-aware, and easy (or charged appropriately, if it’s more complicated) for teams to execute consistently. She said it’s also in line with the concept, drives incremental spending without slowing service, and gives staff clear guidance rather than open-ended interpretation. “If it cannot be delivered cleanly on a busy service, it is not a smart program,” she noted.
Derek Leclair, sommelier at the new Prime Fish Cellar, a sushi restaurant with a wine and sake bar in Charlotte, N.C., said a pairing program provides a unique experience to the guests of that establishment, one that cannot be simply copied and pasted. And, for owners and operators, he said, “It brings in business and generates profit.”
Daniel Rodriguez, food and beverage operations manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs, Calif., pointed out that a smart pairing program is intentional, flexible, and guest-centric. “It starts with understanding flavor balance, seasonality, and the story behind both the food and the beverage, but it succeeds when it feels approachable rather than prescriptive,” he said.
At The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage—which boasts The Edge Steakhouse—they view pairings as a way to elevate the guest experience without overwhelming the process. “The strongest programs are built collaboratively between culinary and beverage teams, allowing pairings to evolve with the menu and reflect the sense of place,” explained Rodriguez. “That could mean highlighting a bold red with a 60-day dry-aged steak one evening, or introducing a lower-ABV cocktail or non-alcoholic pairing that complements lighter dishes the next.”
At MICHELIN-starred Yingtao, a contemporary Chinese restaurant in N.Y.C., they feature a wine pairing and non-alcoholic beverage pairing, and Co-Founder Linette Yao believes a smart pairing program is one that deepens the story without adding friction for the guest or the team.
“Because our food is rooted in cultural storytelling and traditional ingredients, the pairing program isn’t about flexing obscure bottles,” said Yao. “It’s about translation. Each pairing should help the guest understand more about the world, or why an ingredient matters, where a flavor comes from, or how something familiar can be experienced in a new way.”
Operationally, according to Yao, a pairing program has to be tight and forgiving. “We run a small team, so pairings must be easy to execute on a busy night,” she said. “Our goal is confidence and consistency, not complexity.”
From a financial standpoint, Yao said a pairing program must respect both the neighborhood and the guest. “Pairings should feel like value and not a luxury tax,” she shared. “That means thoughtful cost control, smart use of inventory already in rotation, and pricing that aligns with who our guests are and why they’re dining with us. We’re not trying to upsell for the sake of upselling; we’re offering an option that makes the experience feel more complete and more cared for.”
What Constitutes the Core Components of an Effective Pairing Program?
For owners and operators at bars, restaurants, and hospitality establishments, the most successful pairing programs are collaborative, flexible, and guest-led, according to Rodriguez of The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage.
“They balance classic flavor principles with modern preferences, including seasonal menus, low- and no-alcohol offerings, and globally inspired profiles,” explained Rodriguez. “Strong programs are designed to be adaptable rather than fixed, allowing teams to respond to shifting tastes and dining occasions. Just as important is education. When our ladies and gentlemen understand the story behind a pairing, recommendations feel natural and personalized.”
Yao, of Yingtao, said one of the foundational elements of a successful pairing program is reflecting the identity of the establishment.
“It’s not about covering every style or category, it’s about expressing who you are,” shared Yao. “Whether that’s cultural storytelling, regional focus, sustainability, or producer-driven selections, the program needs a coherent voice that aligns with the food and the overall experience.”
Yao added that the most memorable pairing programs go beyond flavor matching. “They tell a story about culture, memory, place, or people,” she said. “Whether it’s a nostalgic N/A [non-alcoholic] beverage, a wine from a female producer, or a traditional ingredient used in a new context, the pairing should add meaning.”
Beyond reflecting the establishment’s identity and telling a story, Yao said the pairing program needs to financially support the business—not quietly erode margins.
For Leclair, of Prime Fish Cellar, the foundational elements of a successful pairing program are value, uniqueness, consistency and profitability.
“Value: Guests are able to try a variety of beverages without having to purchase a whole bottle or glass,” explained Leclair. “Uniqueness: Allow guests to discover beverages that they might not have otherwise tried. Consistency: Pricing and style are appropriate for the establishment and match the menu. Profitability: Generate revenue and increase check average.”
Ron Boyd, general manager and beverage director at Nightbird and The Linden Room—both elegant hotspots in San Francisco, Calif.—suggested that product knowledge and staff training are some of the key foundations to a successful pairing program.
“A strong program depends on understanding ingredients, production methods, regions, and styles—wine, spirits, beer, non-alcoholic options included,” said Boyd. “This knowledge allows you to pair with precision and confidence.”
Boyd added that even the best pairings fail if the team can’t explain or execute them. “Staff must understand why a pairing works, not just what it is,” he said. “Consistent language, proper service, and enthusiasm are essential.”
Pairings: Start with Food First or Beverage First?
Chef Aitor Garate, owner of Miami-based Edan Bistro, a culinary journey through Basque cuisine in Miami, said his restaurant is primarily food-first when it comes to pairings.
“The dish defines the structure, intensity and direction of the pairing,” said Garate. “Once the plate is finalized, the beverage is selected to either complement or subtly contrast the flavors without competing with the food.”
Erin Lindstone, beverage director and sommelier at Denver's MICHELIN-recommended, Barolo Grill, a Northern Italian-inspired restaurant in Denver, said they typically start with food first and then chase it with wine pairings. “We do this because we are lucky to have so many wines at our disposal, so it is not hard to find something that will complement the food,” he said. “I do, however, work with our Head Chef, Darrel Truett, as he develops new menu items, and he is always open to tweaking ingredients if I have a wine in mind that would really shine with those adjustments. Now, if you have a theme for the wine pairing, you may want to start with wine as the inspiration for the food. We do this when we have a focused wine dinner.”
Leclair, of Prime Fish Cellar, said they’re food-first at the restaurant when it comes to pairings, especially since many of the dishes have very refined and delicate flavors. “The food should always be the star of the restaurant,” he said. “I can find and bring in beverages that showcase the nuance and flavors of the food. Trying to force a specific beverage into a pairing should be avoided at all costs.”
Terrell Johnson, sommelier at Omakase Experience by Prime Fish in Charlotte, N.C., said their team leads with food 95 percent of the time. “You’re there to eat, first and foremost,” he said. “Beverage frames/enhances the dining experience. However, there are occasions where we ‘reverse pair.’ Chef and I will taste and talk about a particular wine or sake that needs a dish for it to be married to. He will then create a profile for a dish that corresponds to it. It’s a fun way to do pairings.”
Racine, of JF Restaurants, also noted that beverage-first pairing programs can work and can be fun, but it’s important to have a clear conversation with the culinary team beforehand. “Could be as simple as ‘We have XYZ wine that I would really like to put in front of guests; Can we work on something together?’ Or, maybe even be the concept in advance,” she said.
Chef Kim Alter—the chef and owner behind the MICHELIN-recommended Nightbird—regularly offers pairings with her unique menus. “We start with the theme first, then develop the food, and then the pairings,” she shared. “We want our program to make the experience whole, having the pairings accentuate the food, but also bring new flavors, acidity, and salinity to the table.”
Alter has a thoughtful approach to food and beverage pairings, which take a number of forms at Nightbird. Sometimes that's through flavor–bitters, tinctures, and liqueurs, which are all made in-house through cold infusion, leveraging the fresh fruits, herbs, and produce sourced from the same daily trips to the farmers’ market that also power the whimsical prix fixe dining menus. Other times, it’s through themes, such as Nightbird's annual International Women's Month dinner, in which everything on the menu is from women-owned businesses from the food on the plate to the wines in guests’ glasses.
Pair by Flavor, Contrast, Intensity, Price, or Combinations
How should owners and operators build beverage and food pairings—should it be around flavor, contrast, intensity, price point, or a mix?
Leclair, of Prime Fish Cellar, said he starts the process of pairings as a blank slate each time. “I don’t like to limit myself,” he shared. “All these elements find a place in the end. Why a pairing works doesn’t really matter as long as both the food and beverage are improved as a result. Having a series of pairings built around a single element can work but might be a little lackluster to the guests. It is worthwhile to offer a variety.”
Yao—of Yingtao—builds pairings around a mix of flavor, contrast, intensity, and price point, but leans heavily toward flavor and price point.
“I tend to prefer complementary pairings over contrast,” explained Yao. “Rather than using a beverage to challenge the dish, I want it to support the food. I want it to extend flavors and allow certain notes to linger a bit longer on the palate. The goal isn’t tension, but harmony. Instead of thinking in terms of intensity, I think about support. My goal is the pairing sits alongside the plate and not overpower it. Price point is also important, because I’m cheap and for me as a consumer as well the pairing works best if it feels generous and thoughtful to the guest.”
Jeff Cleveland, partner and sommelier at Birch—a restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisc. that offers seasonal fare based on the flavors of the Midwest—said the fun in building a pairing menu is balancing all the factors—flavor, contrast, intensity, price point—at once. “Flavor comes first,” he said. “Sometimes that means harmony, sometimes contrast. There is also structure and pacing to consider. If I select a wine that is perfect for one course at a modest price point, it allows room to include something more luxurious later on. In the end, a pairing menu is a puzzle, with flavor, intensity, progression, and value all working together.”
Operational Challenges with Pairing Programs—and Advice from Experts
For some operators, pairing programs can quietly become one of the hardest things to run, operationally—if they’re not designed with real service in mind—according to Yao of Yingtao.
She noted inventory management is a major consideration.
“Pairings should be built around items you already believe in and can consistently source,” said Yao. “When a pairing relies on fragile inventory or limited allocations, it creates stress for the team and inconsistency for guests. Pairings should stabilize your program, not destabilize it.”
Pacing and coordination with the kitchen should also be considered when developing pairings, per Yao, noting they’re especially critical in the context of a tasting menu. “If beverages aren’t timed precisely with each course, the pairing quickly loses its purpose,” she said. “That requires tight communication between FOH [front of house] and BOH [back of house], clear service cues, and a pairing program designed to avoid overly complex prep.”
Yao’s biggest piece of advice is to design pairings for the slowest, most understaffed night, not the best-case scenario. “If the program can survive that, it will thrive everywhere else,” she said.
Troy Revell, wine and beer director for Fearrington House Inn, Restaurant, and Fearrington Village’s Galloway’s Wine & Beer Bar in Pittsboro, N.C., said that if an establishment is selling a lot of pairings, it can have a big impact on its ordering processes. “It likely means you are selling less of something else, like your bottle list,” he said.
Revell said owners and operators need to stay organized on how much they have for each pairing and how much more they need to keep the feature going… for however long the restaurant or bar intends to run the pairing.
“If you’re offering pairings for everything on the menu, this can get complicated,” said Revell. “Welcome to spreadsheets. You may arrive at a great pairing that you only have two bottles left of and can’t get more. You’ll need a replacement lined up before you actually get to the end of the current product. If you have a lot of menu items and are serving wines of a certain price point, you’re going to need a Coravin—or two—to preserve the selections [Coravin is a wine-by-the-glass system]. That also increases the time it takes to pour wine. You have to balance all of this with the price point you’re selling and the product costs you’re using and the desire of your business to hit any cost percentage goals. You’ll need to account for waste, as there’s significantly more than a normal BTG [by the glass] program.
Karen Bonarrigo, co-owner and chief administrative officer of Messina Hof Winery—a family-owned winery with four locations in Texas—said there are practical elements to pairing programs that should be considered to see what would work best, in terms of execution. She pointed to:
Food Style – Can the team make, execute, and plate it consistently?
Food Preparation – What products need to be brought in and stored? Do the items store well where the pairing will take place? What are the pars and food waste exposure for this experience?
Difference/Cross Over of Ingredients – Do the pairings line up with current menu offerings? Are the pairings different enough from the menu to be interesting to customers?
Staff Allocation – Can the team dedicate the time tableside to truly navigate a customer though a personal pairing experience?
Scalability – Is a pairing better as a stand-alone event versus as an a la carte offering? Is a reservation required or recommended to assist with the factors listed above?
“Ultimately,” said Bonarrigo, “a smart pairing program should be entertaining and educational to the guest, easy enough for the staff to execute, priced to provide sufficient margin, and be built for simple upselling.”
Aaron Kiel is an award-winning journalist and PR professional with more than 20 years of experience in the beverage, tea, coffee, hospitality, and technology sectors. He contributes to Questex’s Bar & Restaurant News as a reporter/writer, and he was previously the editor of Questex’s World Tea News, as well as the Specialty Coffee Association’s member journal, The Chronicle, among other editorial roles. His work with Bar & Restaurant News has earned multiple accolades, including the 2025 Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Award for “Range of Work by a Single Author – B2B” and the 2024 award for “Best Single Article, Culture & Community – B2B.” He also received a Gold Northeast Region Award in the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ (ASBPE) Azbee Awards under the “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” category for best single article. In addition, Kiel was named a recipient of the 2024/2025 ASBPE Diversity Fellowship Award, which supports and recognizes diversity in the field of B2B journalism. Connect with him on Instagram @adventurer_explorer or visit akprgroup.com.
Are you registered for our Crave newsletter? Sign up today!
Plan to Attend or Participate in the 2026 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 23-25, 2026, Las Vegas, Nevada. Register now!
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at our events, fill out our form.
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.